Alterable side seam for coats



Fgb. 13, 1968 i J. GIUSEFFI 3,368,223

ALTERABLE SIDE SEAM FOR COATS F'i led June. 24, 1965 5/ h l9 A a INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ohio Filed June 24, 1965, Ser. No. 466,681 1 Claim. (Cl. 2-83) The present invention relates to improvements in alterable coat side seams and is particularly directed to a seam construction which, upon being let out, will present no objectionable crease lines from the original seam in the altered coat.

At the present time the fabrics of finished coats are specially treated in order that they will maintain their original finished condition by retention of their proper creases and be free of wrinkles in use. This process comprises spraying a plastic material on the finished coat fabric and thereafter subjecting the coat to a baking step which permanently sets the fabric in a finished coat condition. Although these processed coat materials are desirable from the standpoint of appearance and serviceability they present an alteration problem when seams are to be let out to make the coat larger since permanently creased seam lines become apparent in the altered coat, and are nearly impossible to eradicate by commonly used methods of crease removal.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a novel side seam construction for coats made from permanently set fabric materials.

Another object of the invention is to provide a side seam for coats made of permanently set and lightweight fabrics which may be let out and not show objectionable crease lines of the original seam in the altered coat.

The foregoing and other objects will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings depicting a preferred embodiment of my invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front, perspective view of a finished garment, such as a mans coat, having my seam construction incorporated therein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the seam depicted in FIG. 2 in a let out condition in the altered coat.

This invention is directed to a seam construction for coats and especially for coats made of lightweight fabrics that had been permanently set in finished condition to hold their creases and to prevent their wrinkling during use. Referring to the drawings, the garment illustrated is a finished mans coat 6 having two back panels 7 and 8 joined together in the usual manner by a centrally located back seam 9. Each back panel 7 and 8 has its side edge portion joined to a coat side panel 10 and 11, respectively, by a seam 12 that is exemplary of the subject matter of this invention. As both side seams 12 are identical in construction only the left hand side seam of the coat illustrated in the drawings will be particularly described hereinafter.

The side seam 12 is formed by turning a side edge portion 13 of the back panel 8 over and inwardly upon itself with its finished face lying against the finished face of a 3,368,223 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 fiat edge portion 14 of the coat side panel 11. A line of stitches 15 connects the back panel 8 to the side panel 11 to complete the seam 12, it being noted that the line of stitches 15 passes through an inwardly removed part of the side panel edge 14 (FIG. 2) and that said edge portion 14 underlies the unfinished terminal edge 16 of the back panel 8. The fiat edge portion 14 of the side panel is permanently hemmed by turning the end edge 17 outwardly and over upon itself and running a line of stitches 18 therethrough to form a hem 19. It is to be noted with respect to FIG. 2 that the line of stitches 15 may be sewed by bringing together the finished faces of the back paneland side panel and that upon completion of the stitching the back panel may be turned 180 upon the fiat side panel and the seam pressed with the hemmed side panel in perfectly fiat condition. When the coat is in finished pressed condition the terminal edge 16 of the back panel 8 and the hemmed end edge 17 of the side panel 11 are in confronting, spaced apart positions and in this relationship the coat is subjected to a setting process comprising gen erally the spraying of a plastic material on the coat fabric and then subjecting the sprayed material to a baking step.

In the event it becomes necessary to alter the coat 6 in order to make it larger in circumferential size it is only necessary to remove the line of stitches 15, let out the flat edge portion 14 of the side panel relative to the side edge portion 13 of the back panel 8 to the desired position and re-sew the seam by a line of stitches 150, as is indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the permanent flat condition of the side panel edge portion 14 precluding the presence of an unsightly crease line in the altered coat seam as would otherwise occur if the usual coat side seam were util zed to secure the back and side coat panels together.

What is claimed is:

1. A side seam construction for coats composed of light weight fabrics especially treated to secure wrinkle free, crease retaining characteristics comprising a coat back panel, a coat side panel having a flat side portion, an out turned, permanently creased hem on the edge of said flat side portion, the side portion of the coat back panel overlying the flat side portion of the coat side panel and having an inturned, permanently creased terminal end formed thereon, a line of stitches connecting together the terminal end of the coat back panel and an intermediate part of the flat side portion of the coat side panel with the finished faces of said panels brought together in the seam, and the end edge on the outturned hem of the coat side panel and the terminal end edge of the coat back panel being spaced apart in confronting relationship in the seam whereby the seam may be let out by moving the terminal end edge of the back panel closer to the hem of the coat side panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,331,079 10/1943 Pearl 274 593,370 11/1897 Brock 2102 1,525,287 2/1925 Gemignani 2-102 1,667,526 4/ 1928 Bieberstein 2102 2,042,629 6/ 1936 Ransom 2275 X RICHARD J. SCANLAN, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. A SIDE SEAM CONSTRUCTION FOR COATS COMPOSED OF LIGHT WEIGHT FABRICS ESPECTIALLY TREATED TO SECURE WRINKLE FREE, CREASE RETAINING CHARACTERISTICS COMPRISING A COAT BACK PANEL, A COAT SIDE PANEL HAVING A FLAT SIDE PORTION, AN OUTTURNED, PERMANENTLY CREASED HEM ON THE EDGE OF SAID FLAT SIDE PORTION, THE SIDE PORTION OF THE COAT BACK PANEL OVERLYING THE FLAT SIDE PORTION OF THE COAT SIDE PANEL AND HAVING AN INTURNED, PERMANENTLY CREASED TERMINAL END FORMED THEREON, A LINE OF STITCHES CONNECTING TOGETHER THE TERMINAL END OF THE COAT BACK PANEL AND AN INTERMEDIATE PART OF THE FLAT SIDE PORTION OF THE COAT SIDE PANEL WITH THE FINISHED 